


Dark of the Bleeding Moon

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Series: Black Moon [23]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Difficult Decisions, M/M, Music, Romance, Visual Kei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 12:41:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16408709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: The end of November is here. The snow is falling and Black Moon have officially established themselves in the Visual-Kei scene with their newest album rising up the charts. At the same time, Byakuya makes an important decision before the release of his own album.





	Dark of the Bleeding Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [junko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/gifts), [Josey (cestus)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/gifts).



> I had such a tough time writing out this instalment, but I've finally managed to get it done! And just like the last one, I'm putting the songs in the fic for you to listen to :) I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Note: I changed the release date of the album from November 28th to 26th, and the twelfth song on the album. I also changed the date of the start of the tour from December 3rd to 2nd.

“It’s cold out there,” Renji said when he entered the dressing room of the Laforet Museum. Lowering his hood, he removed his jacket and placed it on his chair.

“Yeah, but it’s really pretty, though,” Hitsugaya said, watching the snow fall outside the window. “Can’t believe winter’s already here.”

It was one of those rare times when Hitsugaya looked happy, even if he didn’t show it on his face. Winter was his favourite season, especially during the month of December. Plus, he always dreamed of performing in the Scandinavian countries one day, especially during the wintertime.

The rest of the band was already here, and so was Yoruichi, Ishida, Yumichika, and Ikkaku.

“Alright, now,” Yoruichi said, getting their attention. “It’s time to get ready for your autograph session. Everything’s already been set up there.”

Ishida nodded. “So, I got all your outfits from the ‘Gomi Tame’ video,” he said. “When you’re done changing, go to Ayasegawa-kun and Madarame-kun so they can do your makeup.”

“But be quick!” Yumichika reminded them.

November was soon coming to an end. The snow was falling, the temperature was dropping, yet ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’ had risen up to Number Three on the Oricon Charts. Having been met with praise from fans, reviewers, and even other artists, Black Moon had officially established themselves in the Visual-Kei scene and in the Japanese metal industry as a whole.

Since the album release, Renji had also been packing and preparing for the tour. He and the band would be leaving on the first of December from Tokyo to Yokosuka, where the tour would officially kick off with their performance in the large hall of the Yokosuka Arts Theatre on the second.

Today, however, was their very first signing session to commemorate the release of ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’. For an hour, starting at eleven o’clock, Black Moon would be signing autographs at the Laforet Museum in Harajuku, something that Renji was looking forward to, honestly. He knew how exciting autograph sessions could be, since he’d done the same thing when Zaraki Kenpachi had released his tenth album a few years ago. But before the signing session, they were going to record another comment video, this time in English, for the international fans.

As Renji slid on the sleeveless coat over the red tank top, he heard Ichigo speaking with Ishida, Ikkaku, and Yumichika while he got his makeup applied.

“So, what’d you guys think of our album?” Ichigo asked.

“It turned out really well,” Yumichika said honestly while running a comb through Ichigo’s hair. “Really, it sounds so clean and refreshing, and I really liked it.”

Ikkaku nodded. “Yeah,” he said with a grin. “Your songs turned out awesome, and they’re all pretty badass. Makes me wanna have a fight or something.”

Renji snorted. “You said the same thing about Kenpachi’s music,” he said, making his way over to the lit-up mirrors. “Literally every metal song makes you wanna brawl, Ikkaku.”

“And that’s when you know a song is good!” Ikkaku said.

“Your album turned out quite well, yes,” Ishida agreed. “But I’ll be honest, I prefer the slower songs.”

Within a short while, everyone had gotten dressed and had their hair and makeup done. Now that they were ready, they went into the exhibition hall where everything had been set up, so they could do their comment video. Once the camera was set up, it started recording. They first introduced themselves in English before Ichigo spoke about the details of the album.

 _“Our third album, ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’, releases today on November 26th in Europe and North America,”_ he said. _“We have all worked very hard on it, and we all hope that you enjoy it.”_

Renji had to admit, Ichigo’s English was pretty good. Sure, it was a little shaky, but if anything, it was probably better than Renji’s English skills.

When it was finished, they moved to sit behind the table, with Hisagi sitting on the far left, followed by Chad, Ichigo, Hitsugaya, and Renji.

A few moments later, the doors to the hall opened and a line of eager-looking fans filed inside. At the very front was a starstruck young woman, probably around twenty-years-old, who gave her album to Hisagi first. Renji had to admit, the way her eyes seemed to sparkle upon seeing them was pretty adorable.

Hisagi smiled as he accepted her copy of ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’, quickly signing it with his silver Sharpie marker before passing it onto Chad. When the album came to Renji, he signed it with the autograph he’d created: a fairly big ‘R’ with the rest of his name on the line, and at the very end, he did a small jagged design that resembled his tattoos. With that, he handed it back to the woman, who accepted it eagerly and bowed before him.

“Thank you so much!” she said repeatedly, to which Renji chuckled.

“Thank you for coming,” he said with a small smile, one that made her blush profusely.

Majority of the fans who showed up were young people in their late-teens or early to mid twenties. And surprisingly, Renji saw a few high school students in the line; he briefly wondered if they’d ditched school for this. In between signing albums, some of the fans would ask them questions, though they were pretty unprepared for some of them.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking this, but… what type of person do you like?” a young woman asked them, blushing slightly.

Hisagi smiled. “I like someone who is calm and understanding,” he said.

“I like someone who is kind and gentle,” Chad said.

Ichigo said he liked someone who was sweet-natured and caring and Hitsugaya said he liked a mature person.

When Renji answered, he said, “I like someone who is passionate and spirited”. It wasn’t too far from the truth, after all.

After the young woman left, next was none other than Dokugamine Riruka, who showed up all flustered in a pink bunny hoodie. When she got a look at Ichigo, Riruka stared at him in shock as her face flushed bright red.

“Riruka-san? You’ve come here too?” Ichigo asked, surprised.

Riruka averted her eyes. “Y-Yeah… you got a problem with it?” she mumbled.

Renji chuckled slightly as they all signed her album copy.

The line kept on moving as they continued signing album copies and giving fans well-wishes. And then, to Renji’s surprise, two familiar people approached the table, one with a Mohawk and the other with long, luscious blond hair.

Upon seeing Renji, Bazz-B smiled at him. “Yo! Long time no see, Renji!” he greeted. “Gotta admit, you look pretty good!”

Hisagi looked at him in surprise. “Hey, you’re that guy from the ‘Black & White’ music video! The one that Renji worked with!” he said.

“Bazz-B? What’s up?” Renji said, raising an eyebrow. “You guys bought the album?”

“Yeah, and it’s awesome,” Bazz-B praised. “Seriously, your guitar-playing skills are so good!”

Renji blushed slightly. “Oh… thank you…” he said, suddenly feeling kind of shy as he quickly signed the album.

The rest of the band looked rather amused at this.

“We should get going now,” Haschwalth reminded Bazz-B. “Before we hold the line.” He then gave them a nod. “It was nice seeing you again.”

“See you around!” Bazz-B called as he and his boyfriend left.

After that unexpected encounter, there were a few more surprises in the lineup. Ichigo’s sisters, Karin and Yuzu, had shown up for the signing, much to Ichigo’s surprise. They both had some very kind things to say for their brother, with Karin saying how awesome the album was, and Yuzu getting a little teary-eyed as she said how proud she was. Watching Ichigo blush over that had been pretty cute.

Then, Tousen Kaname had shown up and praised their album, saying that he was very impressed with the way their music sounded, especially Hisagi’s songs. Also in the lineup were Ulquiorra and Tsukishima from Nejibana, who were both keen on supporting Black Moon. And then Aikawa Love himself had shown up, telling them that their new album had really inspired him for the upcoming chapters of _Hell Verse._

“I’m telling you, I’ve drawn some awesome fight scenes to a lot of these songs,” Love had told them. “So thanks for this album, you guys! Keep up the great work!”

As they neared the end of the signing session, there was yet another pleasant surprise, this time in the form of Grimmjow and Nelliel as the very last two people in the line.

Upon seeing them, Renji just stared at them in surprise. “Grimm? Nel? You guys came here?” he asked.

Grimmjow smirked slightly. “Damn straight, Ren,” he said. “The wait was definitely worth it, ‘cause this album is fucking awesome.”

Nelliel giggled. “Indeed,” she said. “Let’s just say that Grimmjow entertained me to some of the tracks, if you know what I mean.” She raised her eyebrow as she spoke and Renji couldn’t help but grin at that. And the equally suggestive grin from Grimmjow told him everything he needed to know.

Meanwhile, the rest of the band was staring at them in surprise and appreciation. Apart from Ichigo, neither of them knew that Renji had two friends that were this hot. And even then, Ichigo only knew about Grimmjow.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were friends with two insanely-attractive people, Renji,” he said.

Renji chuckled before he quickly introduced them to each other. “We go back, the three of us,” he said.

“Through work?” Hisagi asked as he signed the album, passing it onto Chad.

“Yep, pretty much,” Grimmjow said. “I gotta say, some of the songs on this album are pretty damn sexy. They’re definitely gonna sound awesome live.”

“Damn right, they will,” Renji said as he took the album from Hitsugaya. After signing it, he handed it back to Nelliel. “Thanks for coming, you guys.”

“No problem!” Nelliel said. “We’ll see you around!” She waved to Renji as she and Grimmjow left the hall.

With that, the signing session was over.

“Wow,” Ichigo said as they headed to the dressing room. “That went a lot faster than I expected.”

“Indeed,” Yoruichi agreed. “But how’d it feel? It was your first signing session, after all.”

“It was fun,” Renji said with a smile. “The fans were super sweet, especially when we were signing their albums.”

“Aikawa Love showed up,” Chad said. “He told us our album helped him draw some fight scenes for the upcoming chapters of _Hell Verse,_ and thanked us for creating it.”

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. “Whoa, seriously? That’s awesome!”

“And Tousen-san also showed up!” Hisagi said excitedly. “He told me that my song lyrics are truly amazing and he looked forward to what I had to offer in the future!”

“My sisters also showed up,” Ichigo said, blushing slightly. “They got autographs for themselves and for my dad as well. Karin said that the album was pretty cool and she was so happy for me, even though, and I quote, ‘I wore makeup and shamelessly dry-humped microphones’. She said she didn’t really need mental images of her brother doing that stuff.”

Hitsugaya shrugged at that. “Can’t really blame her, though,” he said.

Eventually, they finished changing and washing off the makeup. As they gathered their things to head to the studio for rehearsals, Yoruichi spoke to them about the tour.

“I hope you guys have done some packing,” she reminded them. “After all, we leave for Yokosuka on the first of December. So make sure you pack enough warm clothes for travel.”

“After rehearsals, I’m heading home to do the rest of my packing,” Renji said. “I’m almost done, but I just got some more to do.”

“Me too,” Hisagi said. “Then I might stop by Rukia’s apartment. She’s having a listening party for our album, remember?”

Renji nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t think I can make it. If you do go, tell her I’m busy with packing, okay?” he asked.

“Why can’t you tell her?”

“I mean, I already told her I might not be able to make it, but now that I think about it, I really can’t. Like, after our rehearsals, I’ve still got things to get ready, I need to make arrangements to have someone stop by my apartment while I’m gone, things like that.”

“Fair enough,” Hisagi said.

Byakuya was probably going to be there, Renji thought. Briefly, he wondered what Byakuya thought of their album before he remembered that his album ‘Hakuteiken’ was coming out on the first of December. In the past few days, Byakuya had done quite a bit of promotion for ‘Hakuteiken’ to the point that it was already much-anticipated.

Renji couldn’t wait for ‘Hakuteiken’ to come out. He knew it was gonna be an awesome album.

* * *

When Byakuya arrived at Rukia’s apartment in the evening, he saw that Orihime and Rangiku were already there. On the bar counter in the kitchen, trays of appetizers had been set up, along with a variety of drinks. Rukia greeted him enthusiastically as he removed his shoes and jacket, letting out a relieved sigh at the warmth of the apartment. It had been getting much colder these past few days.

“How are you, Nii-sama?” Rukia asked as she took Byakuya’s jacket.

“Very busy,” Byakuya said, glancing around the room. “How many more people are coming?”

“Not too many,” Rukia said. “Nanao and Isane are on their way, and so are Kyoraku-san and Ukitake-san. Unfortunately, Renji can’t make it tonight. He just told me that he’s got some more packing to do. In fact, I don’t think the rest of Black Moon can make it either.”

That was understandable. Since releasing ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’, Renji had become a lot busier with album and tour promotion, as well as preparing and rehearsing for the tour itself. Byakuya just hoped they could have at least some time together before Renji left.

Byakuya had gotten his copy of ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’ not too long ago, and had listened to it once. The album had turned out splendidly; the sound was rich and crisp, the songs were badass and profound in their own unique way, and all the song lyrics were incredibly meaningful and well-written. And seeing this album get the well-deserved acclaim and praise it had been getting these past few days, it made Byakuya proud for Black Moon. Indeed, this was definitely one of their best albums.

It didn’t take too long for Nanao, Isane, Kyoraku, and Ukitake to show up at Rukia’s apartment. Once they arrived and removed their shoes and jackets, Rukia set up the album in her CD player as they all took their seats, having grabbed some drinks.

“So, is everyone ready?” Rukia asked, her hand hovering over the ‘play’ button. “Well, let’s go!”

She pressed the button, and [the distorted opening track](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Q1Z6IIfb8) started playing. It was unique and sounded almost cinematic, Byakuya observed. According to the booklet in the album, Ichigo himself had written it, and it really set the tone for the rest of the album.

Next was [‘Gomi Tame’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttKEPHTHEC4). Byakuya closed his eyes with a small smile as the familiar ambient opening and soft-sung lyrics played right before the beat dropped. This version sounded a little different from the music video version, but the quality was incredible. The guitar riffs and drums were really well-done, and Ichigo’s voice was clear, both in singing and growling.

Nanao and Isane were taking notes as the music played. “I like this version,” Isane observed. “It sounds clean and very well put-together.”

The song finished and smoothly led into [‘Stray Dog’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SJ4yZMeYKc), one with an almost cinematic opening before the guitar riffs started. Then Ichigo growled, “This soul can never die!”, and the beat dropped. The guitar lines were clean and almost reminiscent of older Visual-Kei songs. And during the repeated growling chants of “we fucking never die, this soul can never die”, Byakuya saw Ukitake nodding his head to the beat.

“Imagine this song live,” Rangiku said. “Sounds pretty badass, doesn’t it?”

“Renji wrote this song,” Rukia said, smiling fondly. “The lyrics sound just like him.”

When [the fourth song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkEtSb53PGU) started, Byakuya smiled slightly. He had to admit, he really liked this song. Again, it was another song with hints of older Visual-Kei sound in the distorted vocals and the catchy, cleaner chorus. Renji’s guitar playing sounded so good, especially mixed with Hisagi’s guitar and Chad’s bass. And the drums were just wonderful and catchy.

“This song makes me wanna just go out and be rebellious,” Rangiku said with a chuckle. “Like, just hop on a motorcycle and ride through the streets at high speed while this song blares all around me.”

“I know, right?” Orihime agreed, to everyone’s surprise. “This actually sounds like pretty good fighting music. I can almost see a fight club with this music playing.”

“Speaking of that, Renji texted me about the signing session today,” Rukia was saying. “She said that Aikawa Love came today and told them that this album helped him draw some awesome fight scenes.”

Kyoraku raised eyebrows. “Really?” he said. “Well then, the next chapters will definitely be interesting to read!”

Then, [‘Black & White’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwz8Zn9TPSs) started with its distinct sitar strings. Not only was this song badass, it was also pretty hot, now that Byakuya thought about it.

“Man, remember when the music video for this song came out?” Rukia remembered. “That was so hot!”

Orihime and Nanao blushed quite visibly and Byakuya just chuckled as he remembered watching the filming of that video. Seeing Renji act like a Dom as he made Bazz-B lick his boots had been pretty hot, honestly.

“Yeah, I saw what people said about it,” Isane said, chuckling.

“I honestly don’t know which was hotter,” Nanao admitted. “Their outfits, Renji-kun making that guy suck on his fingers and lick his boots… actually, now that I think about it, the whole video was pretty sexy.”

“I thought seeing Ichigo-kun blindfolded was pretty hot, honestly,” Orihime said as she blushed. “In fact, Ichigo-kun’s outfit was really sexy, especially when he wore it back in August.”

“Mmmmm, all their outfits in that video were super sexy. Let me tell you, there’s nothing better than five hot guys in leather, so that was definitely the best video,” Rangiku said, a teasing smile on her face.

“Didn’t Urahara Kisuke direct the video?” Ukitake asked.

“Yes, he did,” Byakuya said.

“Oh, no wonder,” Nanao said, rolling her eyes. “The videos he directs are often very… suggestive.”

After ‘Black & White’ was [‘Memories in the Rain’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvLLhgb_0ss), opening up with a more industrial sound and a bitterly sad melody. Then Ichigo started singing with a voice full of grief and almost childlike hurt, the lyrics describing someone watching a woman they cared about die right in front of them. It was highly implied that the woman in the song was a mother, since Ichigo had said in the limited edition booklet that this song had been written in memory of his late mother.

“Ichigo-kun said that this song was inspired by his mother’s death when he was a child, right?” Isane asked.

“Yeah,” Rukia said. “He was telling me about it on the day of recording it; he said that this song really helped him come to terms with his mother’s death.”

Byakuya listened to the guitar solo and remembered that incredibly dark and sad song from the live in August, and how Renji had played the solo in such a way that the guitar sounded like it was almost crying. He had to admit, he liked this song quite a bit as well.

After that was [‘Momoiro no Hana’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ko2DL2WYfU), starting with its heartfelt strings opening before the beat dropped. As the opening continued, Byakuya remembered watching the filming of this music video in Yoshino among the sakura trees and how he’d shown his songs to Renji at the Kinpusenji Temple. It was such a lovely song with heartfelt and hopeful lyrics and thanks to Renji’s encouragement during that time, it held some nice memories.

“I remember directing the video for this song,” Kyoraku recalled fondly. “Those boys were really sincere in their efforts in making the video and I enjoyed working with them.”

“It was also very visually-stunning,” Ukitake agreed. “Then again, your videos always are pleasing to the eyes, aren’t they, Shunsui?”

“What can I say? I’m a man of aesthetics and beauty,” Kyoraku said with a chuckle.

“I also really liked their outfits for this video,” Nanao added. “They were very classy.”

“Ichigo-kun’s voice sounds so good in this song!” Orihime observed with a dreamy smile.

The song after that was [‘Mala Suerte’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RLG9Xjxzn8), starting out with an almost-jazzy and sensual opening before dropping to the suggestive beat and melody. It was much more sultry and seductive than Byakuya had thought, and Renji’s guitar riffs were quite sexy and hot. But no one was prepared for the lyrics.

Orihime, Nanao, Isane, and Rukia blushed quite deeply as they listened to the first verse, and even Byakuya felt his face heating up. These lyrics weren’t just suggestive, they were outright sexual.

“Is… Is he singing about sex?” Orihime asked, blushing.

“I think he is…” Rukia said, her cheeks a little red. “Didn’t Chad write this song?”

“Yes, he did!” Rangiku said, laughing at their blushing faces. “All I can say is-- damn! Chad really has a way with words, doesn’t he?”

“Indeed, he does,” Nanao murmured.

Everything about this song just spoke of sex, from the not-so-subtle lyrics to the drums to the guitars. It was so sultry and hot and Byakuya could only imagine how it would sound live. He could almost see it: Ichigo strutting and flirting with his bandmates, Hisagi arching his back, Chad playing intensely, Hitsugaya drumming away in that sensual manner, and Renji grinding up on his guitar as if he was making love to it, all with that wolfish and sensual smile while licking his lips just like how Byakuya liked it.

And to imagine Renji dancing and stripping to this song… Byakuya reached over for his glass of water and took a sip.

The song came to an end, but then it was [the song with the incredibly sensual melody that Renji composed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILUBBDcCdk8). Again, Byakuya felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine as that heavy bass opened up the song; he could almost see Renji giving yet another striptease for this song. God, imagine that!

“Damn, the bass in this song…” Rangiku said, looking absolutely pleased. “I wanna blast this from a big speaker and just sit on it.”

“This is pretty hot, indeed,” Isane agreed. “Can’t believe Renji-kun composed this one.”

“Two sexy songs in a row? Are they trying to kill the listeners?” Nanao asked, chuckling slightly.

The beat then dropped with a growl from Ichigo as the rest of the instruments joined in. And when Ichigo started singing, his voice was just so sultry even in the parts when he growled. This song would be an absolute pleasure to hear and watch live. Everything in it was sensual: Ichigo’s voice, Chad’s bass, the drums, the guitars, it was all so perfect.

“Yep, this one is my favourite,” Rangiku declared before drinking down her cocktail. “Honestly, it sounds kinda like something I could watch a guy strip to.”

“Really, Rangiku-san?” Nanao asked incredulously.

“Well, wouldn’t it be something?” Rangiku asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Just imagine: a hot guy slowly stripping outta his clothes and giving you a lapdance to this song. Doesn’t it sound just perfect?”

“Rangiku-chan!” Orihime squeaked, blushing so deeply that her face was actually as red as Renji’s hair.

Nanao’s blush also deepened quite considerably. And, much to his dismay, Byakuya also felt his face grow much warmer.

The song finished and next was [the much more aggressive song that Hisagi wrote](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSRcCz_JgaI). It was pretty badass and it sounded like it’d be a great headbanger. Renji’s guitar playing was really good in this song; it complemented everything in this song. In fact, it was pretty sexy in its own unique way.

“Man, this song makes me wanna watch an underground brawl!” Orihime declared, surprising everyone yet again.

“Er… are you drunk, Inoue?” Rukia asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Orihime giggled. “I didn’t drink, actually,” she said. “If anything, I’m drunk on this album, if that makes any sense! This song just really makes me wanna be a rebel because it’s so… awesome!”

“Well, she does have a point,” Ukitake said. “I can see why Aikawa-sensei was inspired by this album to create fight scenes. This song is pretty tough-sounding.”

After that song was [‘Rosa Rubicundior, Lilio Candidior’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmMqwB2d4Gg), the third song that Renji composed. Despite the growling and aggressive music, it was actually a love song, yet the lyrics didn’t have any of the clichés that were usual in love songs. These lyrics were much more poetic, especially the lines before the chorus came a second time.

 _Kimi, wa rinne no, riyuu de ari, yuiitsu no hikari,_  
_Onaji itami wo shiru, dokoka nita futari wa,_  
_Marude tsugai no youni, kasaneatte_

These lyrics really touched Byakuya; they made his heart beat a little faster and he couldn’t help but think about his relationship with Renji. And the way Ichigo sang these lyrics really helped; his voice was sincere, honest, and pure. Such an unconventional love song, but Byakuya honestly liked it. In fact, it had to be his most favourite song in the entire album. To hear it live would be an absolute delight.

“I like this song,” he said. “The lyrics aren’t like those of a typical love song.”

Rukia smiled knowingly at him. “Indeed, Renji has a way with words,” she agreed.

“And even the music isn’t like your average love song,” Ukitake said. “It’s actually really nice.”

Eventually, it ended and moved onto [Hitsugaya’s song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJFsQg6b6q0). This one was darkly erotic and pretty good as well. Byakuya had to admit, Black Moon really knew how to make sensual and erotic songs, especially ones with rich and heavy guitars. Until very recently, Byakuya had never thought that a rock song could be erotic or even sensual, but he was glad to have been wrong.

When the song came to an end, they realized that they were on [the thirteenth song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8opnCyUJXI) already. This song opened up with an aggressive growl and quite a rhythmic beat and melody, yet another potential headbanger. What really caught Byakuya’s attention was how clean Ichigo’s growls were in this song. There were some English lines mixed in with the Japanese lyrics, much like the other songs on this album, and he could actually hear Renji and Hisagi vocalizing after the first chorus amidst Ichigo’s singing.

Again, Orihime looked quite pumped by the energy of this song. “This one would sound so good live!” she said. “Makes me wanna hold onto a railing and headbang until my neck is sore the very next day!”

Kyoraku chuckled. “Looks like ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’ is turning sweet young women into rebels,” he joked.

“Such is the power of Visual-Kei, it seems,” Nanao said as she took notes.

Before anyone even knew it, [‘Komorebi’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFjUbrb64MA) started with the gentle piano keys that Byakuya had played. They were tender and sincere and Byakuya felt a little bit pleased to hear his piano-playing. But when Ichigo started singing, Byakuya was actually stunned at how sincere Ichigo’s voice sounded; it made the song so sublimely gorgeous. It was simply beautiful, especially when the other instruments joined in.

Byakuya felt his chest growing a little tighter as he listened to the lyrics. Such profound words, speaking of love and loving someone so deeply, and with Ichigo’s heartfelt, sincere, and pure way of singing, it made the song even more passionate and emotional. Byakuya had always been very sensitive to profound lyrics and ardent melodies; songs like the Tres Bestias’ ‘Ever Dream’, Unohana Yachiru’s ‘Ghost Love Score’, Black Moon’s ‘Broken Coda’ from their August concert, and now ‘Komorebi’... they never failed to push Byakuya to the verge of tears.

Byakuya’s throat felt choked up and he took a shaky breath to try and calm himself down.

When Rukia noticed this, she smiled softly. “You played the piano for this song, remember?” she said. “What do you think of it, Nii-sama?”

“It’s… turned out beautifully,” Byakuya said.

“Kinda gives me ‘Broken Coda’ vibes,” Rangiku said. “You know, that super sad song from their August live?”

“Oh, you mean the one that made me wanna tear out my own heart and eat it?” Rukia recalled. “Yeah, I’m getting those vibes too.”

As the song eventually came to an end, Kyoraku just smiled knowingly. “Well, Black Moon definitely has a promising future,” he said.

“Indeed,” Ukitake said. “This will definitely be one of their best works, I feel.”

Nanao nodded in agreement. “This was definitely one of the best albums of this year,” she said. “Too bad it can’t be nominated for a Record Award, though.”

“Even then, that’s okay!” Isane said. “Even if it doesn’t get any awards, it won’t change the fact that it’s a really good album.”

Everyone seemed to be in agreement of that as they gradually began leaving Rukia’s apartment. Soon, only Byakuya and Orihime remained.

Orihime was busy helping Rukia put the food away so Byakuya also decided to help tidy things up. As he moved to put away various glasses, his phone began vibrating against the table with an awful sound that he hastily set down the glass. However, when he picked up the phone, he was surprised to see that it was none other than his aunt.

It had been some time since she’d last called him, and Byakuya had been starting to think that she’d gotten the hint after he told her that her actions were unbecoming of her standing. So why was she calling him now? Byakuya sighed as he slid his thumb across his phone screen. “Hello?” he said.

“Byakuya, we have something important to discuss with you,” Izumi said without so much as a greeting to him. “I’d like to discuss this tomorrow at lunch, and I expect you to show up.”

Her voice actually sounded pretty serious, much to Byakuya’s surprise. If this was something important, then he couldn’t afford to miss out on meeting them.

“Very well,” he said. “Where should I meet you?”

“We’ve made a reservation at the Signature Restaurant,” Izumi told him. “I expect you to show up tomorrow in proper attire and to be on time, understand?”

Byakuya nodded. “I understand,” he said.

When he ended the call, Byakuya turned to see Rukia and Orihime looking at him curiously.

“Who called?” Rukia asked.

“My aunt,” Byakuya said, putting his phone in his pocket. “She says that there’s something important that needs to be discussed with me.”

“Are you going to meet with them?”

“I have to. She sounded rather serious over the phone,” Byakuya told her. “She told me to meet with her tomorrow for lunch.”

Rukia looked concerned. “You sure about it?”

“I am,” Byakuya said. “I have a feeling that this is pertinent information that I need to know about.”

“Okay then,” Rukia said. “But if anything happens, then call me or send me a message, alright?”

Byakuya nodded. “I’ll do my best,” he said. “Thank you, Rukia.”

* * *

Dressed up in his finest business suit, Byakuya made his way into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the Nihonbashi district, where the Signature Restaurant was located. It was a classy, elegant fine French dining restaurant, and the perfect place for the wealthy and elite to meet up for lunch or dinner.

Byakuya had taken Hisana out for dinner at this restaurant back when they’d started dating. She’d been so fascinated by everything, from the décor to the elegant dishes to the overall ambience of the place. Briefly, he thought of bringing Renji here for dinner at some point, though Renji may end up feeling out of place. And besides, Renji himself had said he appreciated simpler things most of the time.

When he opened the door into the restaurant, a waiter approached him. “Are you Kuchiki Byakuya-san?” he asked.

“Yes,” Byakuya said.

The waiter bowed slightly. “Please follow me, sir,” he said.

Byakuya followed the waiter to the elegantly-decorated private dining room, where he saw Kouga and Izumi seated at the table. He sat down across from them and the waiter picked up the bottle of wine from the table and poured a glass for him before leaving.

“You wished to speak about something important?” Byakuya asked, already putting on his cool, aloof front.

“Yes, but we’ll discuss this after lunch,” Kouga said.

Lunch ended up being pretty uncomfortable for Byakuya. But he behaved according to the rules of high society, how he’d been brought up; he kept silent for the most part, ate the tiny portions of food that the waiter brought them, and sipped at his wine. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d gotten used to the warm and supportive environment he’d experienced around other artists, his manager, and backing band until now.

Eventually, lunch was finished, and they finally got down to business.

“It’s about your grandmother,” Izumi began. “She has fallen ill, and she wishes to inform you that she is willing to allow you back into the family as the heir of our other properties and the next head of the family.”

Byakuya’s eyes widened slightly as he listened. Something like this should’ve been good news, but he knew that there was a catch. That’s how these sort of things usually turned out.

“However, there is one condition.”

Yep, it was just as he thought.

“You must abandon your musical career and take on full responsibility for the family’s well being and continuation,” Kouga told him. “Do you understand what’s at stake? If you decline, then the rest of the Kuchiki properties will be handed off to one of your cousins, who will become the next head of the clan. In addition, you will be written out of the will as well.”

Byakuya was silent as he let their words sink in. This kind of decision was a lot harder than he expected it to be. He thought that he was done with the family, that he didn’t need their approval for his recent activities. However, this was actually a lot more serious than he thought.

“When do you want to hear my decision?” he asked.

“Before your album comes out,” Izumi said.

Well, that wasn’t exactly much time, since his album was releasing on the first of December.

After lunch, as Byakuya was heading back home, he kept on thinking about what his aunt and uncle told him. His grandmother was willing to let him back into the family, and let him become the heir again… if he abandoned his career. And if he took on the responsibilities of ensuring the well-being and continuation of the family, then Byakuya would have to marry someone and have a child to carry on the line.

For so long, Byakuya had wanted his family’s acceptance and approval. When he was a teenager, they refused to acknowledge his talent in songwriting and composing music. They’d scolded him for his romantic ideals and ‘impractical’ dreams when he’d played them a song he’d written and composed himself. When he married Hisana, they disowned him, tried to make him leave her, and refused to see that he was happy with her. Even though he’d become the CEO of Senbonzakura Music, they’d disowned him, thus cutting off his access to the rest of the Kuchiki properties.

At some point, he’d just given up on making his family happy and focused only on doing what made him happy. He was starting up his musical career, hell, his very first album was about to be released! It should’ve been an easy decision, yet Byakuya was confused. He didn’t know what to do. So many feelings he thought he’d abandoned, the longing to be accepted by his family he thought he’d given up on, they were all coming back.

If he were to give up his budding career as a musician, Byakuya could finally be accepted into the family… or would he? The rest of the family practically despised him and looked down upon him, so he’d have to somehow convince them to show him some respect. Not to mention, there was no way he would be allowed to be in touch with the friends he’d made in the music industry and Visual-Kei scene. And above all… Renji.

Byakuya’s heart squeezed.

He’d have to leave Renji, the one who helped rekindle his creativity and passion for music and songwriting. The one who gave Byakuya the push to pursue his musical career, the one who had been supporting him every step of the way. Byakuya couldn’t do this to Renji, he’d break his heart!

But if he declined, then the Kuchiki properties would be handed to one of his cousins. He would become even more of an outcast, and he would be bearing the brunt of the blame for everything that happened. Then again, it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to being the scapegoat for a lot of things, especially after he’d married Hisana.

And the fact that he had until the release date of his album to make his decision just made things even more complicated. Yet it shouldn’t have been this difficult.

When he arrived home, Byakuya sat down on his sofa and held his head in his hands, a sigh escaping his lips. He glanced over at the photo of Hisana on the wall near the entranceway of his apartment.

 _What would you do, Hisana?_ He thought to himself.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Byakuya realized what he was thinking. Hisana had known a lot about sacrifice and difficult decisions, so why was he even asking himself such a question? She’d sacrificed her successful career and popularity to be with Byakuya, even after the scandal took place. And Byakuya, despite being given opportunities to be allowed back into the family if he left Hisana, had given those up for her sake too.

He’d done it once, but just what was holding him back?

A knock at the door suddenly broke his thoughts and Byakuya got up to answer. To his pleasant surprise, it was Rukia.

“Rukia?” he said, stepping out of the way. “Please, come in. What are you doing here?”

“How did lunch go?” Rukia asked, slipping her shoes off and removing her coat. “And what was that important information they wanted to discuss with you?”

Byakuya sighed. “I’ll explain everything, so have a seat,” he told her.

A short while later, Rukia was sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea in her hands as Byakuya told her about his grandmother’s condition, the offer his aunt and uncle had told him about, and the choice he had to make.

Rukia looked very unimpressed by the time he was finished.

“Seriously? After all this time, they’re considering letting you back into the family?” she asked. “After everything they’ve done to you?”

“What do you think of it, Rukia?” Byakuya asked.

“It’s bullshit, that’s what it is,” Rukia told him. “Nii-sama, will you really be happy if you just abandoned your career for the sake of the family?”

Byakuya sighed. “This decision is a lot more difficult than I expected,” he said. “I know what’ll happen if I abandon my musical career. But at the same time, the entire Kuchiki legacy will be handed off to someone else.”

“And what about Renji?” Rukia reminded him. “If you just leave your career as it’s beginning, especially for your family’s sake, he’ll be so hurt. He helped you start your career, after all.”

“I know that, Rukia,” Byakuya said, his voice genuinely confused. “It’s… It’s so difficult, though. I thought I’d made peace with the fact that I can never be accepted by my family, yet it seems I really haven’t. I simply suppressed those feelings.”

Rukia smiled sadly. No wonder Byakuya was struggling with what decision to make. He couldn’t break out of his ingrained need to put his family ahead of his own personal wishes and desires, a family that has hurt him and looked down upon him for so long as well.

Well, she already knew what he should do.

“Nii-sama, you need to do what makes you happy,” she said, her voice firm. “Tell me, will you get any happiness from marrying someone of their choice and having a child?”

Byakuya could only look at his sister-in-law as she continued speaking.

“You know, I was hanging out with Ichigo the other day,” she said. “He told me something his dad had told him a long time ago: ‘live well, age well, and if you can, die happy’. And as cliché as this may sound, you should follow your heart. You did that with Hisana-nee, right?”

Rukia was right. He had to do what made him happy, he couldn’t always put his family ahead of himself, especially if it was costing him his own happiness. If he abandoned his career, Byakuya would be miserable for the rest of his life. He’d regret his decision and eventually die just as miserably. Besides, he’d come this far already, and he was only getting started. To abandon his career, with an album coming up, it was unforgivable.

Hisana had told him once, she wanted him to be happy no matter what. She would not want to see him abandon everything he was working towards, and there was no way he’d be able to face Renji if he did such a thing.

He’d made his decision already. Or maybe he’d made it a long time ago, and only needed a push to actually go through with it.

He gave Rukia a small smile. “Thank you for your words of wisdom,” he said sincerely.

Rukia smiled at him. “See? You already knew what to do,” she said. “All you needed was a pep talk.”

“I suppose so.”

And as he said those words, Byakuya felt so much lighter than he’d ever felt in a long time.

* * *

Renji had finished packing up the last of his things and was just cooking some yakisoba when he heard a knock at his apartment door. He headed over to the genkan to answer it only to be met with a surprise when Byakuya practically threw himself at him in a hug, his arms wrapping around Renji’s torso as he shook slightly.

Closing the door to keep the cold and falling snow outside, Renji returned the hug. “Hey, you,” he said with a soft smile. “What’s up?”

He felt Byakuya shake his head against his chest. “I wanted to see you,” he said.

“You can come by whenever you want, you know?” Renji said gently. “Come on in.”

Byakuya was reluctant to pull away from Renji; he was warm and he smelled of sandalwood and musk, but he had to get out of his coat. So he slowly pulled away from the hug as he slid his coat off. “How have you been?” he asked.

“Busy,” Renji said. “I finally finished packing and I’m ready for the tour. My copy of ‘Hakuteiken’ just came in the mail today, and I was just making some yakisoba noodles for dinner. You want some?”

“Yes please.”

A short while later, Byakuya and Renji were seated at the small table in the kitchen, a bowl of yakisoba noodles in front of them, as they just made small talk and ate. Simple, yet so much more intimate than sex.

“Are you ready for the tour?” Byakuya asked after a mouthful of noodles.

Renji finished chewing a piece of chicken and swallowed it before he answered. “Pretty much,” he said. “By the way, did you like ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’?”

Byakuya smiled slightly. “I did,” he said. “I was at Rukia’s listening party for it, and I really like how the songs turned out. My favourite is ‘Rosa Rubicundior, Lilio Candidior’. The lyrics are quite sweet.”

Renji blushed at the compliment. “Thanks…” he said. “Did I tell you about the signing session yet? It went pretty well. I actually saw Bazz-B at the session.”

“Really?” Byakuya was surprised. “Anyone else you saw in the line?”

“Tsukishima and Ulquiorra also showed up, and so did Tousen Kaname,” Renji said. “Ichigo’s sisters also showed up, so did Aikawa Love, and even Grimm and Nelliel. Overall, it was fun, and the fans were really sweet.”

“I can imagine,” Byakuya said. “And you’re going to see a lot more fans on your tour, so that’ll be a lot of fun.”

“Yeah.” Renji then took Byakuya’s hand and squeezed it gently. “I’m gonna miss you, though.”

Byakuya nodded slowly, glancing down. “Me too,” he said. “You’ll try and keep in touch, will you?”

“I’ll do my best,” Renji promised. “I might not be able to talk to you every day, since I’ll be pretty tired after the shows are finished, but I’ll try. I swear I will.” He smiled at him. “I’m gonna have ‘Hakuteiken’ on my music player so I can listen to it during travel. You know, so I can think about you.”

Byakuya blushed slightly as he smiled.

“You want to stay the night before I leave tomorrow?” Renji offered, enjoying the way Byakuya seemed to brighten up.

“That would be nice, yes,” Byakuya said, feeling touched.

Just like how Renji had left some of his clothes over at Byakuya’s place, Byakuya had done the same. They couldn’t exactly live together, but it didn’t matter. They both made sure to stay over at each other’s places as much as they could.

That night, as the snow fell outside, Byakuya stayed close to Renji and enjoyed the feel of his strong arms holding him close to his warm body. He wasn’t going to see Renji for a while, wasn’t going to feel this warmth for quite some time, so he held onto Renji a little tighter and smiled slightly.

In this moment, they almost seemed to fit together just like a hinge.

**Author's Note:**

> The Japanese lyrics in this fic translate to:
> 
>  
> 
> _You are the reason I am here in this circle of life, the only light of mine,_  
>  _Knowing the same pain, we who are similar in some way_  
>  _We fit together just like a hinge_
> 
>  
> 
> (credit goes to:http://heresiarchy.tumblr.com/post/174923091347/the-gazette-two-of-a-kind-lyrics-translation)
> 
> This song could easily be one of the ByaRen theme songs too; the lyrics fit them both perfectly.
> 
> The Laforet Museum is a museum and event space in the Harajuku district of Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is a district most well-known for Japanese youth culture and street fashion scene.
> 
> The Signature Restaurant is a fine-dining French restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the Nihonbashi district, a business district of Tokyo.
> 
> Let me know how I did :) Have a good one!


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